Muslims Speakers Forum

I organized a forum titled “What It’s Like to Be Muslim in America,” a project that took nearly a year of planning. I worked through the details—designing the program, selecting speakers, and arranging logistics. After finalizing a proposal, I presented it to Dr. Adil, my mentor for UMMA (United Menlo Muslim Alliance), who supported the idea. From there, I sought approval from Adam Gelb, the Upper School Dean, which took over nine months of back-and-forth.

My objective was to bring together a group of speakers to share their experiences as Muslims with the broader Menlo community. I was fortunate to have eight incredible speakers, each offering personal insights into how their Muslim identity shaped their lives—socially, professionally, and personally. Their stories, which ranged from inspiring to heart-wrenching, resonated deeply with the audience. The speakers came from different age groups and walks of life. The forum garnered attention from The Almanac, which covered the story. At the end of the event, my history teacher approached me with tears in her eyes. She simply said, “Thank you for doing this”.